Injury Report: Zaitzev not recovering from the Flu, to undergo tests

Walshy7

Registered User
Sep 18, 2016
25,326
9,343
Toronto
Oh I have no problem with his contract yet. Was just pointing out how buying him out would be crazy right now. I'll leave him another season or two before I'm ready to call it a terrible deal.

id never buy him out, he is a top4 RHD that's about what a #4Dman gets paid in todays environment, maybe a shade less say $4M. Last year he played above that level and I guess some were spoilt by that. He has had a pretty serious injury this year that kept him out 18 games. Rielly had a similar thing and when he came back it took along time for the regular Rielly to show. Zaitsev is a non issue as long as he is healthy at his worst he is a excellent bottom pair dman, at his average he is a very good #3/4 dman. Polak at his best is a very good bottom pair dman
 

Walshy7

Registered User
Sep 18, 2016
25,326
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Toronto
how do you know he's having an off year if he hasn't even played 2 full season's yet?

hope he feels better soon we need him for the playoffs

I guess no one will know, but anyone with any kind of objectivity would say he has missed 18 games so far this year and even after coming back from injury still looks like he may have after effects of the injury and lack of game practice
 
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Spirit of 67

Registered User
Nov 25, 2016
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Aurora, On.
No way he'd leave 27 million dollars for Russia. He said he'd rather play here than Russia I believe. Even if that's false, he wouldn't leave that much money on the table.
Well it's not like he'd be playing for free back there. I think he'd make more than enough of it back.
I don't see this happening for another couple years as well. So it wouldn't be $27M either.
 

Boutette

Been there done that
Sep 28, 2017
2,991
1,056
One thing I've been thinking about with his contract is, if his struggles are such that he's been overtaken by enough players, the Leafs could waive him and if he clears, send him to the A. Then, he'd likely just go back home I think.
Either way, I think the Leafs can get out of it fairly simply.

Unless your playing for Putin's team you don't really make all that much money in the KHL playing hockey these days and contracts are not guaranteed. Several of our AHL vets earn more than the average KHL player, and that's before the fact that some KHL teams don't pay players for months at a time and its not uncommon for that to go on long enough to cancel whatever contract the player and team have signed.
 

Liminality

Registered User
Oct 22, 2008
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I wonder if Zaitsev is having a transition year just like how Rielly did last year, trying to be more defensively responsible and finding himself. If he wasn't injured he'd be on pace for around 200 blocked shots while he had 136 last year which led the defense. He's had his PK ice time almost double from last year to this year at 3:08 per game. Had his PP time taken entirely by Rielly.

I personally think it's a confidence issue this year after the injury. I think we'll see the dynamic Zaitsev again and he'll be a more defensively responsible one. He had a good first year for his first year in the NHL.
 
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Kiwi

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Mar 5, 2016
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The Naki
id never buy him out, he is a top4 RHD that's about what a #4Dman gets paid in todays environment, maybe a shade less say $4M. Last year he played above that level and I guess some were spoilt by that. He has had a pretty serious injury this year that kept him out 18 games. Rielly had a similar thing and when he came back it took along time for the regular Rielly to show. Zaitsev is a non issue as long as he is healthy at his worst he is a excellent bottom pair dman, at his average he is a very good #3/4 dman. Polak at his best is a very good bottom pair dman

If you look at his results Walshy he's not a mid pair defenseman

He's got the tools but how he plays is a serious issue, he either won't or can't hold his own blueline and he doesn't exit his own zone with control

That's a major issue if he's playing mid pair, your overestimating how good he was last year as well
 

Boutette

Been there done that
Sep 28, 2017
2,991
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Hopefully its something that he can recover from over the next month at worst. Its not like losing him for the last 13 games is going to affect the team position wise for the playffs and it may give us an opportunity to see more of Holl and what he can do up here over an extended run so the team can be better informed as to what to do with him for next year.
 

Fogelhund

Registered User
Sep 15, 2007
21,054
23,159
Hasn't recovered from the flu... It's Monday, he got sick on... what Friday. Anybody ever have the flu for more than three days.... Umm... ya!!!!
 

Advanced stats

Registered User
May 26, 2010
11,641
7,526
Off year? Great #3-#4 defenseman?
Well this is just untrue

He hasn't had a good year yet including last season

The cold hard fact is he's never been worth that contract and it looks borderline terrible already, I understand why the front office gave it to him but as of now it doesn't look good and no in don't want to buy him out
Last season wasn't just good, it was great.

2nd on the team in defensive scoring, and 3rd amond rookie defenseman.
Carried his partner (mo, gards) as much as they carried him. Lots of compliments from Babcock and some big goals.

If you don't think he did well last year, you need to watch more hockey.

The beginning of this season started out well, but he seems to have tired. A reset could be good for him, but make no doubt about it, he's a talented top 4 defenseman
 
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Daisy Jane

everything is gonna be okay!
Jul 2, 2009
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I wonder if Zaitsev is having a transition year just like how Rielly did last year, trying to be more defensively responsible and finding himself. If he wasn't injured he'd be on pace for around 200 blocked shots while he had 136 last year which led the defense. He's had his PK ice time almost double from last year to this year at 3:08 per game. Had his PP time taken entirely by Rielly.

I personally think it's a confidence issue this year after the injury. I think we'll see the dynamic Zaitsev again and he'll be a more defensively responsible one. He had a good first year for his first year in the NHL.


it could be.
i think he also just had a really bad 2nd year (with outside factors). i also think, a lot of people don't want to acknowledge that despite his age, he is a sophomore on NHL ice, so that's a factor.
 

TootooTrain

Sandpaper
Jun 12, 2010
35,505
460
Flu bug has been worse this year. Not in terms of severity, but in terms of the strains being reversed compared to other years. Maybe it's that.
Either way...he's sick. As long as it's not life altering..meh. Let's see what Carrick can do with a little bit more icetime.
 

Mugzy97

#StandWitness
Mar 3, 2015
7,191
3,402
Halifax, NS
So many misinformed posters in here. Zaitsev his had flashes of brilliance, especially to start off this season. He leads our team in ATOI per game and is +10. He's had injuries and now seems to have been sick for quite some time. Let's just ease off and give him some time to come back before we buy him out, send him down, trade him, etc. He's a good defenseman having a tough season outside the game of hockey.

I hope it's not a serious illness.
 

Zybalto

Registered User
Dec 28, 2012
9,490
8,766

Interesting take and a bit more balanced than many around here would like, thats for sure.

You do tend to see Rielly/Hainsey get tough assignments and then Zaitsev/Gards get the secondary but when they go into a defensive shell, Babs throws out Zaitsev/Hainsey which accounts for the 39.43 CF away from Gards. Also nice of someone to point out that Gardiner has actually played better with Zaitsev than away from him (and this is more pronounced looking deeper into advanced stats).

Zone exits are still a problem most of the time and I'm hoping the coach's continue to work on those.

While he has struggled on the PK, especially as of late, his numbers allowing scoring chances, especially high danger chances has markedly improved, especially when taking his QoC into account. He also lead the D in +- with a solid QoC and mostly defensive zone starts (for those who like that).

All in all, an OK #4 when you look at the numbers overall but I think he has more to give and we expect more from him. He's certainly not an overpay based on what he provides, despite what many say. Only playing like a 3.5-4 cap hit this year? Burn the witch! Its been crazy talk.

Its too bad Zaitsev has to go through yet another struggle but I'm hoping it clears up soon. We need him as much as anyone for the playoffs.

The lead in to the Matthews article right after that had me smiling bit.

"So far, the Leafs are 8-6-2 without Auston Matthews and 32-16-5 with him (which is a 106-point pace). First off, that’s the value of a superstar and how lucky the Leafs were to win that lottery."

Its not far off of the record with and without Zaitsev this year. He must be doing something right.....
 

Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
77,850
51,520
Everyone is saying he's playing bad... He was our best deference before he got injured. People have small memories

1.75 years in the NHL is a small sample size to conclude if he's good or bad. But the seven year term is concerning.
 
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DopeyFish

Mitchy McDangles
Nov 17, 2009
6,598
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My thought: what if this illness is something that has been impacting his performance and he just started to become symptomatic?
 

Tarmore

Registered User
Nov 11, 2008
1,109
604
The wife is a high school teacher and caught the flu going around. I had it for 3 weeks (didn't even show as flu just aches and pains at first) and she still has it. It turned into bronchitis for her. It doesn't surprise me that a hockey player could suffer a little extra from it. I'm thinking of deep breathing cold dry air, probably not the besst for it.
 

Once

Registered User
Jul 16, 2010
3,849
1,856
My thought: what if this illness is something that has been impacting his performance and he just started to become symptomatic?

I actually do not think he is fully recovered from his previous injury. He seems to lack explosiveness in his skating, his first 3 strides appear to be lagging. I notice it in his own end when he 'tries' to skate the puck out of danger but ends up using the boards.

Hopefully this is an opportunity to rest and he is OK.
 

hullsy47

Registered User
Dec 7, 2005
6,338
1,043
Zaitsev's poor play has been completely overstated. Is he playing like a $4.5M dman? no he hasn't but at worst he has been a #5 dman, some posters seem to wanna make out Polak has been better. Polaks best game of the season would be barely better than zaitsev's worst. Who cares about $ for the rest of this year it effects nothing. He will have the entire offseason to get back to his previous form
I agrree we made the playoffs since he hss been here yet we dick around with jake gardiner and he isnt bought 4.5 dont get u much more nikky but cmon he csn play 25 minutes a night on a good team
 

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